Expansive member for inseparable bracelets



June 17, 1930.

O. L. GAMMELL ET AL EXPANSIVE MEMBER FOR INSEPARABLE BRACELETS FiledNov. 8, 1928 www@ ATTORNEY irflatpented June `117, 1930 i o E il.'GAMMLQAND ROLAND w; woonwAan-or m'riimoiio,"iissAciiUsErrsgns,-j

w 'y si'z Noris To sMI'THa CROSBY, Acoianrivziii-siiir'fcoivrrosnn oriiiaiaiii in.A cnosiay.

- Exrnivsii/'EV MEMBER'FOR iiisnrfiiiiiisiin BRAcELE'is i Applicationfiled Nbvember 8,1925.' serrer No. SimcaY d .,'lhisrinvention relates tobraceletconstruc- 1 rtionwand incre lparticularly to expansive vmembers:forinseparable bracelets. i i

*,Qne ofv the objects thereof is to provideV Y ya bracelet which is`'conveniently adjustable 'in length.' Another object iis to provide asnugly Vfitting bracelet which will resiliently expand or contract inresponse tomovefrom'. f Another object is to provide a"constructionofthe above naturewhich is strong and durable, of neat and rvattractiveappear Y ance, and of such simple construction pasto facilitate itsconvenient and economical l -manufaeture." Other'objects will be inypart obvious yandV in l part pointedout'V herein- Theinventionaccordingly consistsin features of construction,Vcombinationsof helements and arrangements oi parts as willbefexempliied in the`structureto'behere-` iiiater described and thescope of the apr 1 plicatioii of which willl be "indicated inthe lfollowing claims.' i i ments Lofthis invention,

'l ,',Inthe accompanying drawings, in which n y Y open atits endsfandabottomlcover116;'v :T1157 Y member'15'consists"preferably offan inner-Ay relatively rigid section l5?? andal like orna y is shown one of thevariousV possible embodi- Figure l isa top "plan view oi` a bracelet fFig.V 3but showing the' voffFig.- Stand 5 with partscompletelyretracted;

4 `Y1'Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same, Qshowingthe partsdrawnout to theirfull extent; l

Fig. 3 is an enlargedl bottom View of the expansion member in .partlyexpanded con- *dition with the bottom wall of the casing removed; 'l

.'Fig.4 A is a crosssection .on Vline 4-4 of casing complete; Fig. 5' isa similar view ViFig. 6 is a similar View on line 6-z-6 of 5 Similarreference characters referto similar iparts'throughout the several viewsof y'the drawings.

)Referring now t'o the drawings in detail,

onl the line 5--5 andvirst to and 4there-is2 shown-` a braceletcomprising aplurality of links 10, a center orexpansionS memberindicatedgenerally in Fig. vl bythe numeralllfand end hooks l2 and 18 whichprovide means 'of attachment with a wrist watch-orthe .li'kek.'V

wrist watches and like constructions but:l

are applicable to Lother -types`of-r`bracelets '66e as well', .Y v Asparticular, advantages are! achieved when the invention' isemployed'in'la' wrist3 watchbracelet or strap,ithistypeofbrace let' hasbeen illustrated in Figs. l`1` and/2. 65j

Also, it is to be kunderstood that the character ofthe'links 10 isunimportant asper-v` It is to be understood',fhowever,,that Vthe, vvvfeatures of this invention j are not limited tok taining to thefeatures 'of the present inven' tion, the links l() shown hereinbeingillustrative ,simply .of a'v preferred form' encircling means. c

Now referring` to K ,the` other. figuresfofthef dra`wings,'the expansionmember l1 4is shown to` comprise a center link or casing lll and v ,vslide'iiiembersYlfand1,8,'eachdesigned toV Y be slidably received within-an end `'of "the". f "casing-"member" and to Fbe partially' overf-4 flappedand telescoped .therebyjv 'The casing:

rlfl comprises av trough-'like.topfmember 15 mentalgsection 15.- Theside' walls of sec- 16 to Vclamp the latter downupon-/thes'ide 15b arefastened together `as by Asoldering to* tion 15b extend beyond thesidevwalls of sec-fv i tion 15av and are adapted to* beturnedin# Ywardlyupon the lateral edgesfofthe cover 855 'i l1'? and lSiare unitstructures lcomprising l outer ornamentalplates 174 and .118a respecktively, and inner distinctly shaped relativelyr 17" are substantially ofthesame lengthandV width and are both cut throughas at 17'91to11 form aslot by -means of which lthe adjoining braceletlink l() ispivotallyjattachedthereto` Parts 18'?L and lb'are similarly'slottedv forattachment to its adjoining link, but the plate 18a is much shorter thanthe shaped portion 18, length merely to cover the exposedpart of theslide k18 when the latter is fully drawn.

its fully retracted and its fullyV expandedV positions. It isfurthermore designed to be freely movable from any fixed position in adirection to shorten the bracelet, while, on the Vother hand, it must bemanuallyreleased before it can be drawn out-from any fixed position.This is accomplished as follows: Thel shaped portion of the slide haselongated side portions 19 notched on their inner edges Vto provide aplurality of opposed teeth having outwardly directedr stop surfaces andinwardly sloping shoulders 22. At their inner ends the sides 19 areturned toward' each other as at 23 to provide abutment surfaces adaptedto prevent the removal of the slide from the casing. At their oppositeends the sides are joined by an end wall 24. yProjecting inwardlytherefrom is a stiffemng tongue 25.

. Coacting with said teeth 2O toacconiplish therewith the objects justmentioned are a vtion 18h is substantially pair of opposed detents 26formed upon and turned up from a catch andguide member 27-fwhich is madeof flat sheet metal and comprises a pair of resilient spaced arms 28 andan end connecting portion forming an abutment 29. This guide member iisspaced away from the top of the casing 14;-

sufliciently to furnish guideways inV which the kslides 17 and dinallyslidable Vmanner. The member 27 issecured to the side walls of the'casing adjacent the transverse portion or abutment 29 as byspot-soldering, as shown at 30 andjV 31. Transversely opposite thesaiddetents 26 are finger projectionsy 32 which pass through openings inthe side walls of casing 14; s o as to be readily pressed between thethumb and finger of the wearer of theV bracelet to spring inwardly theresilient arms 28 engagement with the stop surfaces of the teeth 20.

The slide 18 is also held slidably in the guidewayrformed between thetop' of the casing and the member 27. lts shaped por- A of the samerectangular shape and size as its plate portion 18a, as far as the inneredge of 18, whence it` is continued inwardlyv and away from the abutment29 in the form of a tongue 33 of a width conveniently to pass betweenythe inturned portions 23 of the slide 17 when both slides arefullyinserted.

The inner end of the tongue is turned downwardly as at 34 (see Fig. 6)so being, in fact, of suliicient 18 are held in alongitureadily ltooverlap the-plate of the slide 17. Sprung -downwardly adjacent the outerend of said tongue portion are a pair of abutment lugs 35V adapted toengage the end por-` tion 29V of the guide member 27 lwhen slide 18isdrawnout to prevent its removal from the casing 14C. About midwaybetween said lugs and the inner end of the tongue the latterwhasla lugv86 sprung downwardlyV from thebody thereof, as is clearly shown YinFigs. 3 and 6. The lug 36y is positioned Vand shaped toreceive and holdone end of fa coiled spring 37 which is disposed between it'and theopposing lug or lugs 38 formed upon and sprung down from the transverseportion 29 of the guidemember 27. The function of this'spring is to oerVresilient opposition to relative movement of the slide and casing in adirection to lengthen the bracelet and to return said parts to theirinnermost position when there is-no force acting in the oppositedirection.

- In'v use, whenit is desired to place the bracelet in position uponthewrist, the iinger projections 32 are pressed inwardly andv the slidelink 17 drawn outwardly, when the bracelet may be slipped over the hand.

To adjust the bracelet for size, the slide is simply pushed into thecasing until the Vbracelet reaches a suitable tightness about the wrist,whereupon the detent's26 engaging the registeringV stop surfaces of theteeth 2O hold the parts in such position. To re'- move the bracelet fromthe wrist the detents are disengaged from the teeth and the-slide drawnout as far as necessary. i

t As bracelets of this'nature are-often worn at times when the-musclesof the wrist are important if a tight fit is desired that the braceletmay expand and contract accordingly; The resiliently held slide 18 meetsthis condition of use simply and effectively by automatically slippingin and out ofthe easement 'member 1st as the necessity arises.

lt is to be noted that the insideV cover ofV the easement memberpresents a smooth and Y `uninterrupted surface to the `flesh ofthewearer and protects the parts from dirt and moisture. The cover plates17 a and 18a have the same appearance as the other links of the braceletso that the 'latter has a pleasing and uniform appearance in allpositions of expansion and adjustment.

From thelforegoing it will beseen that this invention is one welllittedto carry out the aims and objects thereof in a thoroughly simple,practical and reliable manner; that the bracelet may be convenientlyenlarged so that no diihculty will be experienced in putting it'on orolf; and that it may then easily be vadjusted to the desired degree oftightness and securely held in the position at which it is set but. witha certain amount of elasticity to permit freedom beingmade to expand andcontract, itis latch said second member inl a pluralityi'ot extendedpositions, means extending throughv the sides of said casing to beoperated manually to release saidfcatch member from engagement with saidsecond slide member, and means for limiting vthe outwardmovement of saidslide members. Y

7. An expansion member for bracelets comprising, in combination, acenter member and two end members slidable therein,

means adapted resilient-ly to oppose the rela tive motion of one of saidend members in a direction to expand thejbracelet, and means adaptedselectively andreleasably to lock said second end member in a oflongitudinallyV spaced positions.

.8. An expansionv member for bracelets comprising, in combination, acenter member and two endinembers slidable therein, means adaptedresiliently to'oppose the relative motion of one of said end members inVa direction to expand the bracelet, means adaptedv selectively andreleasably to lock said second end member in a plurality ofYlongitudinally spaced positions, saidV first means comprising a i'ixedabutment within said center member, and ak spring adaptedV to engageVsaidfabutmen't atone end and atl the 'other end to engage an opposingabutment upon `therst of said end members.

' 9. VAn expansion member for bracelets "comprising, in combination, acenter Vmember and two end members slidable therein, means adaptedresiliently to oppose the relative motion of one of said end members :ina direction to expand the bracelet, means adapted selectively `andreleasably to lock said .second end member in al plurality cilongitudinallyv spaced positions, saidv first means comprising a iixedabutment within said center member and aspring adapted to engage saidabutment at one end and at the other end to engage an opposing abutmentupon the first of said end members, and said second meanscomprising aplurality of spaced teeth positioned upon said second end member, aVspring-pressed catch member within the walls of said center member forcoacting witlisaid teeth, and a finger piece projecting outwardlythrough theV walls of said center member to be operated manually ,Y toYrelease said catch member 'from engagepluralityv other end to engagekan'opposing abutment upon the first of said end members, and said secondmeans comprising a plurality of spaced teeth positioned uponA saidsecond end member, a spring-pressed catch memn ber within the wallsl ofsaid center mem ber for coacting with said teeth, and a in` ger pieceprojectingfoutwardly through the walls of said center member to beoperated f manually to release said catch vmember from engagement withsaid teeth, said catch member being formed upon a resilientlongitudinally extendingy arm of said xed under side a plurality ofnotches andthe other of said end members having formed on its under sidea downwardly sprung lug, and a flat guide memberl having at one endreleasable detents for selectively engaging said notches and at theother end a fixed abutment disposedfin opposition to saiddownwardlysprung lug to Vhold a compres sion spring therebetween.

l2. In bracelet construction, in combination, a center link memberhaving a top wall and a bottom Ywall connected thereto, said link beingopen-ended, a pair offend link members slidably received respectivelylinto opposite ends of said center member in con'- tact with the vtopwall thereof, one of said `end members having formed on its under sideVa plurality ofY notches and the other of said endvmembers having formedon its underside a downwardly sprung lug, and a flat guide member havingat one end releasable detents for selectively engaging .said notches andat the other end a fixed abutment disposed in opposition to saiddownwardly'sprung .lug to hold a compressionspringtherebetWeen, saidguide member being positioned between said end link members andsaidbottom wall and having means projecting through the walls of saidlcenter 'link member or'releasing said de-' tents.V v

13. In bracelet construction, in combina- 'tion,' a center link memberhaving a top wall and a bottom wallconnected thereto, said link beingyopen-ended, a pair of end link members slidably received respectivelyinto opposite ends ofsa'id center member in contact with the top wallthereof, each of said endl link members comprising an upper coverplateunderlying the top wall 'of said center link and a lower distinctivelyshaped portion underlyingy its respective cover plate, one of saiddistinctively shaped portions izo having thereon a longitudinally'`disposed series of teeth presenting abrupt surfaces qftoward the centerof said center linlrand "inclined surfaces in the opposite direction'and the other of said distinctively shaped portions havingan outwardlysprung lug, and a flat guide member underlying both of 'said shapedportionshaving at one end releasable detents for engaging the surfacesof said teeth of the'one end link member and having at its other'end a'lxed abutment disposed in opposition to said lug on said other end ,linkmember to hold t-he compression spring therebetween, whereby the one endlink member may be freely moved ina di- 4 rection to shorten thebracelet and selectively locked in a plurality of positions againstmovement in theopposite direction and the other end link member isyieldingly held against movement in a direction to `lengthen saidbracelet.

In ,testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specificationthis `30th day of October, 1928. Y

OVE L. GAMMELL.

ROLAND W. WOODWARD.

